


Taking the Lead

by Fabrisse



Series: Transformations [1]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Case Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-20
Updated: 2009-12-20
Packaged: 2017-10-04 17:49:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/32807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fabrisse/pseuds/Fabrisse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While Morgan is recuperating, Hotch and Reid take a case in Eugene, Oregon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Taking the Lead

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Русский available: [Хорошая инициатива](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1046939) by [Bathilda](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bathilda/pseuds/Bathilda)



> There is a graphic description of animal torture. No actual animals were harmed, of course. Nor were any humans.

The consultation was in Eugene, Oregon. There had, over the past two weeks, been some bombings, never anyone killed, but some of the property damage had been serious. There was also the fear of escalation.

Originally, Hotch had intended to send Morgan and, maybe, Rossi to work with the locals since Morgan was their bomb expert and had prepared a preliminary profile. An accident in his hand-to-hand combat class had put Morgan out of commission. He would be on an extended medical leave while he recovered from emergency knee surgery.

JJ brought another case to Hotch's attention. For all he complained about the stereotyping of Italian Americans, Rossi was definitely their expert on organized crime. The new case would go to him.

For a few minutes he considered sending Reid and Prentiss together. Reid was ready to do more solo field consultations. Thanks to his speed and academic discipline, he was already the top person for in-office consultations. Gideon had trained him well. But sending him alone when the first glance profile was probably a college kid might send the wrong signals to the local police. If Prentiss went along, there could be command issues. Reid had more time as a BAU agent, but Prentiss was senior to him in the bureau.

Hotch didn't want to be in the office any more. There'd been the recovery period after Foyet, and now he was ready for field duty.

Plus, there was the fact that Haley had managed to foul up Jack's visitation weekend again. If he was out in the field, he could keep his mind on other issues, away from the pain of not seeing Jack.

He spoke to Strauss and asked Garcia to arrange their travel as soon as he got the assistant director's permission to send himself as well as Reid.

***

Reid had been surprisingly quiet as they waited for their flight from Dulles. He'd read through the case notes in the car and made one phone call to a groggy Morgan asking him to clarify a couple of paragraphs in the preliminary profile. Other than that, silence reigned.

Once they made it through TSA, clarifying their federal status and getting approval for their weapons, Hotch spoke. "Should I have let you work this case alone?"

Reid looked startled. "Was that an option?"

"You're ready to do field consultations on your own, but with this case, I didn't think it was the best option."

"Because you don't trust me?"

There was no rancor in the question, but it was franker than Hotch had expected. "No. Because I think the local cops would be disturbed to see a profiler who looks very similar to the profile Morgan prepared. Actually, I justified my joining you on this with Strauss as an evaluation on your field skills. I want to be able to assign you individually when it's necessary. I think you're ready."

Reid's lips quirked in a half smile. "That's good to know. How do we handle this once we get to Eugene?"

"I introduce Doctor Reid to Sherriff Sage Williams, and then I sit back and listen to my iPod."

That got a laugh from Reid. "I don't think you own an iPod."

"I'll buy one."

"You could have sent Emily."

Hotch shook his head. "I considered it, but she still gets prickly on occasion with local law enforcement and sending the two of you together …"

"Seniority issues. If you told her I was in charge, she might not have taken it well. If you told me she was in charge, I'd have shut the door to your office and reminded you that I was the senior profiler."

"Really?"

"I've been changing how I dress so that I'm not perceived as a kid quite as much. I don't know how successful it is, but I am trying to be more aware of others' assessment of me. That's one of the things I got from Owen."

"I thought you got it from Austin."

Reid's eyebrows went up. "I see intra-team profiling is still a major sport."

"You've seemed … more confident."

"And everyone is attributing it to a relationship?"

"There's a certain type of confidence that comes from se- a successful relationship. You seem to be exhibiting it."

"Well, successful is inaccurate. Austin broke up with me about three weeks ago."

"Any particular reason?"

"Distance, mostly. A guy named Brad in her sociology class who asked her out. Your shooting made her realize that profiling has a certain level of danger."

Their flight was called and they made their way onto the plane. Hotch looked at Reid. "How did Garcia justify these on the expense account?" They were in the extra leg room area.

"She didn't. She has my credit card for when I fly commercial. I told her it was better we sit together."

"I'll reimburse you for the supplement."

"No need. You wouldn't have done it for yourself."

"I'm still reimbursing you." Hotch turned back to Reid. "Didn't Austin grasp that you met her on a case?"

"She thought it was an unusual case. The longer we dated the more she realized our cases are unusual to the local population, but common to us."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. We're still friends."

Reid put his shoes in the pocket of the seat in front of him and dug a book out of his satchel. "Do you mind?" He asked, holding up the book.

Hotch opened his briefcase and dug out a novel. "I have my own. The difference is, I won't finish it before we reach the Mississippi River."

***

When they got off the plane, Reid asked Hotch to wait with the bags while he went to the men's room.

"Let me make the same stop, and then we can pick up the rental car." He stared at Reid.

"I'm allergic to something. I had to get my contacts out while I still could."

Hotch nodded at the explanation. "Be back in a minute."

Within half an hour, they were on their way to Eugene. Garcia called them with an update. Another bomb had gone off while they were flying. She also gave them the name of their hotel.

Hotch listened as Reid asked her to pull and collate surveillance footage, wherever possible, on the last two bombings and then gave her parameters for three searches on other crimes that might be related.

"By the way, she says it's homecoming week, the ducks are playing, and hotel rooms are scarce. We'll be sharing."

"I can handle the light."

"Good. What are the ducks and what do they play?"

Hotch spent the next half hour explaining college football.

About ten minutes outside the city, Hotch pulled into a mall parking lot, got out of the car, and handed the keys to Reid. "In American culture, the driver is perceived as having more power. I want local law enforcement to see you as the lead agent from the start."

Reid rummaged in his satchel for a moment before accepting the keys. He handed his iPod to Hotch. "It's mostly jazz and podcasts from Scientific American, but you might find something you like."

He was rewarded with one of Hotch's rare grins as he slipped behind the wheel.

***

In the event, Reid introduced Hotch to Sherriff Williams. Hotch had pegged it right that the person driving was considered senior even with the obvious disparity in ages and authority.

After the introductions, Sherriff Williams said, "There was another one this morning. I called your office, but your analyst said you were already on the plane."

"Garcia informed us. Where was the blast?" Reid asked.

"This one was actually on the University of Oregon campus -- ground floor of one of the residence halls. Based on the profile we were sent, this one and yesterday's seem to agree that it might be one of the college students."

"Yes, it does. Is it possible for us to see both crime scenes?"

"Sure. I'll drop you at your hotel afterward, and we can hit the ground running tomorrow."

Reid nodded. "Also, could we take the case files with us to the hotel? We'll return them in the morning."

"If you want. They're not exactly light bedtime reading."

She'd brought them to the first crime scene.

Reid took the lead walking around the area. No buildings were close by, and the grass had huge chunks taken out. "This is yesterday's crime scene. Was anything happening when this went off?"

"No. A lot of the students jog. This is a running town, but this went off at four a.m. even the diehard runners aren't out that early -- not at this time of year."

He turned to Hotch. "The noise got him noticed. People probably called nine-one-one immediately, and I'm sure a few ran out to see what was going on."

Hotch followed his eye line and saw the taller buildings surrounding this patch of grass. "Sightlines are good. If he'd wanted to, he could have picked off people as they came out. Since he didn't, our unsub is definitely a bomber not a killer."

Reid gave an unconscious head shake. He turned to the Sheriff. "What time did today's bomb go off?"

"Around eleven. It's a pretty empty time in the residence halls. There are classes from ten to eleven-thirty, ten-thirty to twelve, and eleven to twelve-thirty. According to the registrar's office, more students are in class at eleven in the morning than any other time of day."

Hotch said, "That reinforces the idea that this isn't about killing."

"What's the schedule like for tomorrow? I want to know about extra-curricular activities, especially anything that's either all or predominantly female."

Sheriff Williams looked startled, and Hotch gave Reid a sharp glance.

"I suppose I could have one of my men find out? You think there will be more? Why are you asking about women?"

"After reading my colleague's initial profile, I read the abbreviated files you sent him. You've had twelve bombings in three weeks counting these two, and they're getting progressively closer to the U of O campus."

"That's why we called in the BAU." Reid could hear the unspoken "you idiot" loud and clear.

"Before we left, I asked our technical analyst to look for small fires and patterns of vandalism in the weeks leading up to the bombings. There were incidents of graffiti tagging followed by several petty break-ins on and around the campus a couple of months ago -- many of them on residence halls overlooking this area. After that, there were fires -- mostly minor ones in trash cans or on lawns near the campus, but several were more serious. Then, with about a week's gap, your bombings started."

"You think the unsub was starting small and working his way up?" Hotch's voice was mild.

"It's in Morgan's profile. These bombs are all different types. Whoever our unsub is, there seems to be no signature yet. The vandalism and fires were also oddly patterned -- one a day for a couple of weeks, but only on the weekdays."

"Just like our bombings."

Reid nodded. "I assume you waited to call us because the two day break between the first wave of bombings and the second round meant you thought he'd stopped."

"More like we didn't really notice the first week of bombings until the second week's started. You say you looked at the files we sent. That first week, they were small. Stink bombs mostly. We assumed it was kids playing a joke. I don't think we sent anyone out on the Friday bomb that first week. It was just a pervasive stench in a small building."

"Yes. According to Garcia, the complaints about the smell in the neighborhood continued through the weekend."

Hotch saw Sheriff Williams bristle like she was about to take offense and suggested, "Maybe it's time we moved on to today's crime scene?"

Reid picked up on the body language and agreed. "If you wouldn't mind Sheriff, could you have one of your people ask about the extracurricular activities? Or do you have any sorority houses here?"

The Sheriff seemed thoughtful as they walked toward the newer scene. "Yes. Eleven, I think."

"Is it possible to step up the security around them tomorrow?"

"I think we can talk to campus security. We've already increased our patrols around the campus, and we can make sure we concentrate on them."

Reid caught another sharp look from Hotch, but he deflected it for the moment.

The current crime scene looked very different from the previous day's. There were scorch marks on the concrete and sidewalks outside the building. The pattern of the broken glass made it clear the bomb had been inside the building probably on the floor in a corner of the lobby.

As he looked around, Reid noted the location of the security desk and the doors. There were a few chairs around the lobby, but none in the area where the blast had occurred. "Anyone can come in here, but if they're going to a room they need to stop by the desk?"

Sheriff Williams agreed. "Residents need to flash ID and sign their guests in. The guests are supposed to sign out when they leave. Residence Hall Security is a work-study job, so some of the more frequent guests probably don't get stopped."

"I don't think the unsub knows that. He picked the least populated place in the lobby to leave the bomb. The blast pattern is pretty spectacular, but it doesn't look like there's any structural damage to the building."

"Anything more you need to see here?" The Sheriff had glanced at her watch a couple of times and Reid realized it was probably after six.

"No. If we can stop by the office to pick-up the files, including the ones on the vandalism and arsons, we can go to our hotel and start fresh tomorrow."

"You can come in whenever you like. You'll probably be awake early with the time difference. My shift starts at eight, have to drop my kids off at school."

***

An hour later, Hotch and Reid were eating Indian food out of containers in their room. Garcia had warned them when they landed that only one room was available. Sadly, she hadn't known the room had only one bed.

Hotch had tried to insist on taking the roll-away they'd managed to pressure the front desk into giving them, but Reid won the argument.

"Reid, you clearly have a theory you haven't shared yet. I take it you think there will be more bombings?"

"At least three more this week if we can't stop the unsub. Unsubs."

Hotch looked up sharply. "Plural."

"If I'm right, yes. I wish Morgan were available. He knows more about bombers' behavior than I do."

"I can call in the team if you like. Rossi's case can wait. He's mostly providing the organized crime task force with interrogation techniques."

"If there's a bombing on a women's target tomorrow, then I think the two of us can probably handle it -- with Garcia's assistance. If I'm wrong or we don't have this tied up by Friday, then ask Dave if his case can wait and call in Emily and JJ."

"Why by Friday?"

"Because if I'm right, and we haven't found our unsubs by then, next week they're going to escalate again."

"Tell me your theory."

"I think we have a gang. Usually I'd say ranging in age from seventeen to twenty-two, but I think it's more likely that the oldest unsub is under eighteen. The bottom of that age range could go as low as fifteen if the oldest is younger."

"How many?"

"Five. If you look at the wider pattern, taking in the vandalism and arsons too, there are signatures developing. Wednesday's unsub has issues around women. Monday's and Tuesday's both like to make a bang, as it were, but for Monday's unsub it's an urge to startle. All of his have been shocking in some way. I also think he's working up, possibly, to something more personal -- like killing."

"The sightlines you noticed."

Reid nodded. "On the other hand, based on his last two bombs, I don't think our Tuesday bomber realized his blast would blow the windows quite the way it did. The bomb was far away from people and placed in a sheltered area. Thursday's have all caused injury -- minor so far, but I'm worried about Thursday. He's the opposite of today's bomber. If he chooses eleven a.m. on the campus, the bomb will be in one of the most populous classrooms."

"Trying to injure or kill rather than just liking the idea of visible damage."

Reid grimaced. "Exactly. I think he's experimenting with shrapnels. Even his fires threw out objects and sparks. Worst of all, I don't think he's our most dangerous unsub. The one who's taken Friday seems to be an excellent chemist. His fires were fast and hot. The second one used thermite. His stink bomb, as the Sheriff called it, didn't dissipate for several days. It's been four days, well, five by the time we get there, but I want to look at his last bomb site tomorrow. It may trigger something."

"You think he might try mass poisoning?"

Reid caught Hotch's eye. "I think this Friday, he'll do what the others seem to be doing, testing timers. But next week, it could be a simple chlorine gas."

Hotch rubbed his forehead. "What will viewing last week's scene tell you?"

"There was one chemical they had a hard time identifying. The analysis just came back the last time Garcia called -- turns out it was turmeric. Forensic tests don't usually include kitchen spices. There was no smell, but it occurred to me that he might have used a powder that would be easy to see and to follow."

Hotch pinched the bridge of his nose. "Because he's testing the wind patterns."

"I think either Thursday or Friday is the leader, mostly because of the violence levels. They're the one the others are trying to impress and emulate. It could be those two together as well. _Folie a deux_."

Hotch closed his eyes in thought. "And this week's experiment is timers?"

"We only have two examples, but the times have been very specific."

"A bunch of teenaged boys."

"You've said it yourself. Teenagers profile as psychopaths. The need to conform, even to an outcast group, is strong at that age."

"Can you hand me the files for Wednesday? I want to see if we can refine his motives about women. If we can, maybe we can predict the target."

Reid pulled six files and handed them to Hotch before returning to his own reading. It was going to be a long night.

***

Around eleven, Hotch said, "Reid, I think I've narrowed it down to three potential targets."

Reid looked up from the victimology he'd been working on and took the notes Hotch was handing him.

"I think you're right." He picked up his cell phone. "Sheriff Williams, this is Doctor Reid, SSA Hotchner has, I believe, found the most likely the potential targets: the women's glee club practice at noon, the cheerleading practice at three, and the Sigma Delta Beta sorority house." He listened a moment before continuing. "The sorority seems the least likely. Several homecoming events are planned for tomorrow, but they're less likely to be strictly timed." He listened again. "There's a chance the unsub will plant the bomb tonight, but since I believe from the profile so far he's testing timers, it could already be in place."

Hotch heard Sheriff Williams ask another question before Reid replied. "Yes, ma'am. If they see him planting it they should pick him up and follow the local protocols for bomb disposal. It's more likely that we can survey the sites tomorrow after it's light."

There was another pause. "My hope is that we'll find the bomb before it goes off and be able to keep an eye on it. I have no doubt the unsub watches to see how his handiwork is received. It should help us to catch him."

Finally, Reid said. "Thank you, ma'am. I apologize for calling so late. We'll see you tomorrow at eight." He hung up.

"Do you really think the sorority house is the least likely?"

Reid looked up from his phone. "Only because I think the unsubs want a strictly timed event. If they were testing something else, I'd go with the sorority, probably on the grounds in a position where injury isn't likely. I don't think Wednesday hates women. He envies them their relationships with men."

"A gay or -- what's the term? Bi-curious -- teenager who has to stay closeted because of family or social pressures was my read on this too."

Reid smiled at him. "Good. I'd hate to think I was way off base." He looked at the clock radio by the bed. "It's nearly three in the morning our time."

"We should get some sleep. Are you sure you won't take the bed? The lead agent should be well rested." Hotch's eyebrow went up in amusement.

"I consider the bed a privilege of age."

Hotch chuckled as he grabbed his pajamas and ditty bag and headed toward the bathroom.

***

Hotch heard his name called out and woke with a start. The desk lamp was still on in the room, but Reid had evidently opted out of trying to sleep in the roll-away. He was on the floor by the window instead. Hotch made certain there was no one else in the room, that Reid was not responding to an actual threat, before he went and knelt by his colleague.

He placed one hand on each shoulder to pin him as he tried to wake Reid without consequences. He called Reid's name a couple of times before finally leaning closer and saying, "Spencer," in his ear.

Reid turned toward his voice, blinked, and then captured his mouth in a searing kiss. Hotch found himself flipped on his back, Reid's hand protecting his head as he parted Hotch's lips and probed gently with his tongue. When Hotch moaned at the sensation, Reid jumped back in shock.

"I'm sorry. It was a dream and then …"

Hotch sat up and smiled. "When I first started with the BAU, I shared a room with Rossi. When I tried to wake _him_ up from a nightmare, I ended up with a black eye. A kiss is better." He hoped he sounded philosophical. "I thought you were in distress, or I wouldn't have disturbed you."

Reid sat with his back against the bed blinking. Hotch felt around and handed him his glasses.

Reid put them on. "I was. Standard fare. The unsub was executing the team in front of me. He'd just gotten to you. It was a relief to see you alive."

"I have that one. There are times I'm really thankful the unsubs can't read minds. I swear I come up with worse than any of them could."

Reid looked at the clock. "It's two a.m. I'm going to make some decaf and see what the mini-bar offers, if that's okay with you."

"Technically, we're off duty." He opened the locked cabinet. "What do you prefer?"

"Is there something in there you like? I don't want a whole shot, but I want to relax."

"Courvoisier or Jim Beam."

"I prefer the brandy." Reid finished with the coffee maker and handed Hotch the two glasses.

Hotch poured. "It's not much. Are you sure you want to split it?"

"Positive. It may not be my drug of choice, but relying on it worries me."

Hotch's back stiffened, then he turned and handed one glass to Reid. "I think that's the first time you've admitted that to me."

"Morgan being a little out of it 'on the good drugs' when he talked to me yesterday was the first time in over a year anyone's mentioned so much as a cough drop in front of me."

Hotch took a small sip of his drink. "I guess we didn't want to mention 'rope in the house of the hanged.'"

Reid poured the finished coffee and came over to sit in the other chair. "I've never said thank you. After New Orleans, I realized everyone must have known. You let me find my own footing, my own way out."

"It was a close call. Gideon and I both watched you very closely after that case. There was that Friday soon after when you asked me for a weekend project. Your hands were shaking. I nearly asked you to come help me with chores at my house just to keep you distracted."

"If you'd told me to scrub your office, I would have."

"What did I come up with?"

"You didn't. Garcia asked me to bring my laptop in so she could test her new firewalls and update my OS. And on Sunday, she _did_ have me come to her apartment and do chores. I hung shelves and, well, Garcia's seen me at my worst."

"She helped you detox?"

"Apparently, she'd done it before for a friend of hers. She promised that if I needed to go to the hospital, she'd keep it off my FBI health insurance."

"Did you?" Reid looked at Hotch who continued, "Need to go to the hospital?"

"She took me to an urgent care when it became clear I was getting dehydrated. Three IVs later, they let me out and told me to drink more Gatorade."

"You're a remarkable man."

Reid knocked back the last of his brandy. "Garcia's a remarkable woman."

Hotch followed suit. "When we found you in that graveyard, I was surprised when you hugged me. After tonight, I have to wonder whether some of it was attraction?"

Reid finally looked him directly in the eye. "The first time I saw you, I thought you were the handsomest man I'd ever seen."

"Morgan, I could believe."

"You're blushing." Reid laughed and relaxed a little. "Morgan met, still does, the societal standard for male beauty. That wasn't something I was entirely comfortable with. We've become friends, but I could never have trusted him to understand with Henkel."

"But still, six years. You've found me attractive enough to kiss all this time. I don't feel like much of a profiler, not having noticed."

"I worked pretty hard to keep you from noticing. Plus, you were married for most of that time. I'm pretty sure you didn't notice a lot of people who found you attractive."

Reid picked up his now cool cup of coffee and took a sip. "So, are you going to transfer me?"

"For what?"

"For making a pass at you."

"You weren't aware of what you were doing. Does my knowing change your ability to work with the team?"

"I don't think so. Will you let me know if it does? Give me a chance request a transfer myself?"

"Barring something extreme, of course."

Reid started to say something and then changed his mind. He took the cups and glasses back to the bathroom area and used the facilities while he was up. When he came back, Hotch was sitting up in bed with his reading glasses on, looking at something in the files.

As Reid settled back into his spot on the floor, Hotch asked, "What were you about to say a few minutes ago?"

There was a long pause. Finally Reid said, "I was going to ask why you kissed me back."

The silence hung between them before Hotch quietly said, "I could say something flippant about it being a long time since Haley left. And it would be partially true, but the fact is, once I got over being startled, it felt right. I even liked the roughness of your stubble, and I'm really not sure when you got taller than me."

"Hotch?" Reid's voice broke on the word.

"We're in the middle of a case, Spencer. When it's over, we'll talk about this."

"I have a lot of comp time saved; maybe we could do something together?" Reid sounded hopeful.

"I think that sounds promising."

He heard Reid shift and settle in. "I'm going to turn out this light, if that's all right."

"The desk lamp is more than enough. Thanks, Hotch."

"Good night."

***

The first real break on the case came late the following morning. They'd been in by seven and when the Sheriff came in at eight, they had set up the full victimology and geographic profile with every incident they thought was part of the pattern. Garcia had confirmed that local high schools got out at two-thirty in the afternoon. When the shift was at full, around nine, they presented the profile.

It was clear the locals were skeptical of the idea it was a gang of kids, as one of them put it. Hotch explained the town and gown side of the issue, and Reid took questions on group dynamics and how they played into teenaged psychology.

Afterward, Sheriff Williams had taken Hotch aside while Reid talked to Garcia. She wasn't pleased with the profile and kept pointing out where it contradicted the preliminary profile Morgan had prepared.

About the third time she referred to Reid as "the kid", Hotch stopped her. "Doctor Reid has been a valuable member of my team for six years. He is tested in the field and has had my back on multiple occasions."

Sheriff Williams seemed shocked at Hotch's vehemence.

Hotch continued. "Doctor Reid has already made the call that if we haven't gotten significantly further ahead on this case by the end of the week, the full team will be called in. The BAU takes this case seriously."

He nodded to her and walked over to Reid who said, "Was that as bad as it looked?"

"Pretty much."

They asked for directions to the previous week's bomb sites and worked through them until the call came that the bomb had been found. It was in the bleachers overlooking the field where cheerleading practice was held. The timer was set for three-thirty, half way through practice.

Hotch smiled to himself when Reid gave a sigh of relief.

***

Reid's first words to Sheriff Williams when they got to the scene were placating. He let her determine where the best places to watch were and included her in the consultation with the bomb squad and a representative from the university.

The bomb was packed in order to minimize its impact, but the university agreed to let the bomb go off at its marked time. Cheerleading practice was moved, and police worked with campus security to keep eyes on the most likely spots for the bomber to watch his handiwork.

They had a stroke of luck. One of the campus security guards noticed someone who looked younger than the average student saunter past one of the potential watching points three times in five minutes. When the bomb went off, he checked his watch and seemed puzzled by the blast. Others around him were running -- some toward, some away -- or had pulled out their cell phones to record the scene. He walked to a car.

The police followed in an unmarked car and called in the license number. It looked like they would be able to follow him and possibly find the other members of the gang.

They lost him. By the time other cars came to box him in, he'd slipped down a side street and out of sight.

Sheriff Williams called everyone back to the station.

Reid was on the phone with Garcia when he and Hotch walked in on the Sheriff dressing her men down for losing the suspect. When she saw the BAU agents, she motioned them over.

"We ran the plate through DMV. It's registered to a Robert Elson, a fifty year old former Marine who runs a guide service. He takes tourists out on hunting and fishing expeditions. Never had any trouble with Fish and Game that we can find. Not even a parking ticket."

"Thank you."

"He does have two sons, and the younger one, Stephen, is in high school. So what's next Doctor Reid?" For the first time that day, Sheriff Williams looked to Reid before Hotch.

"I'd like to see if SSA Hotchner and I can at least narrow down the targets for tomorrow's bomber."

"I take it his profile is different?" Williams seemed genuinely curious.

It was Hotch who said, "Very."

"Why don't we go and arrest Elson's sons? Ask them about tomorrow's bomber?"

Reid said, "From what we've seen so far, Thursday's profile is closer to a classic bomber. He wants to cause destruction and mayhem. We know from past experience that if we catch _him_, he'll clam up entirely to guarantee that at least his bomb will go off."

Hotch took over. "Since he profiles more violently than the other members of the gang that could mean many people being injured or even killed tomorrow."

Reid nodded and added, "If we refine his profile, we hope to find his bomb in time to prevent that. If we haven't found it by the time school is out tomorrow, I think we should arrest Stephen Elson as publicly as we can at his school and see if we can spot the people it concerns most."

The Sheriff nodded. "I'll leave you men my office, then. Let me know if you need anything."

Reid said, "We appreciate it, ma'am."

When she left, he turned to Hotch. "Thursday's going to want to watch. I say we exclude school hours, at least at first, and concentrate on activities and classes that wouldn't get him noticed by truancy cops."

"It's as good a place as any to start."

***  
The bomb went off at 6:30 in the morning, midway through what would have been the first and busiest PE classes of the day. The gym was the target. Fortunately, the University's administration had cancelled all classes held at the gym that day on the recommendation of the local Sheriff's office and the BAU.

A high school student named Johnny Snow just happened to be in the area. When he saw the campus cops and the local Sheriff's office he pulled a weapon and fired. The shot went wide; no one was injured. Shooting had given away his position and two campus security guards were able to get the drop on him and arrest him.

***  
Hotch came back in from the hotel's fitness room to find Reid shirtless in a deep twist on the floor. "Yoga?"

"My sponsor recommended it as a way to center myself. It's been helpful." Reid unbound himself and twisted in the other direction.

"I'll grab my shower then and let you finish." He had a hard time keeping his eyes from straying over the planes of Reid's body.

"That should work. I only have a few more poses. Will it bother you if I shave while you're still in the shower?"

"Not at all." He watched as Reid moved closer to the wall and kicked up into a handstand. Then he shook his head and headed for the bathroom.

When Reid came into shave a few minutes later, he said, "Hotch. Just got a call from Williams' office. They have Thursday in custody. Johnny Snow. I told her to make certain his parents were notified and that he has a lawyer immediately. Breakfast should be portable."

Hotch turned off the water and reached for a towel. "I saw a McDonald's around the corner. You still off pork?"

Reid rinsed his razor. "Probably for life. Scrambled egg biscuit, milk, and orange juice."

"I'll meet you in the garage in twenty minutes."

Reid stroked the razor along his chin and cast a look at Hotch's five o'clock shadow in the mirror. "I'll use the electric while I'm getting dressed."

"I'll meet you in the garage in twenty."

***  
Johnny Snow's parents and lawyer wouldn't let him talk to the police or the FBI. The attorney characterized the shooting incident in a "boys will be boys" light and tried to talk Sheriff Williams into dropping the charges.

Reid listened to part of it, then pulled Sheriff Williams aside. "School's going to start soon. I assume we know which one Johnny Snow attends?"

"South Eugene."

"Is that the same one the younger Elson son attends?"

"Yes. School starts in about half an hour. I take it we'll be arresting Stephen Elson?"

Reid nodded. "I want to talk to the guidance counselor first. He or she may have some idea who the other members of the gang are." He took a deep breath. "I'd like each of the interviews, presuming we get all of them, to start with someone else. Are any of your officers openly gay?"

"Yeah. Bridges and Mitchell."

"Which would you trust with a basic interview, especially knowing he probably won't be allowed to finish it?"

"Mitchell. He follows orders without feeling like he needs to prove things." Sheriff Williams seemed confident in her assessment.

"Second question, who do you have who can play 'dumb hick cop' well? From what I've seen none of them are like that, but I'm sure it's occasionally part of your interrogation repertoire."

Williams smiled at that. "Sergeant Kolinsky plays dumb all the time. Highest case clearance rate in the office, but he does it by seeming like he doesn't have two brain cells to rub together."

"When we've finished talking to Elson, I want him to talk to Johnny Snow."

***  
The guidance counselor hadn't been much help. Johnny Snow and Stephen Elson were both outsiders who didn't seem to have many close friends, not even each other. She promised to look through her files to see if anyone matched the profiles Hotch handed her, but, other than asking Stephen Elson to come see her after home room, she really didn't do anything.

Robert and Barbara Elson were waiting for them at the station when they arrived. The officer on duty had already called the public defender's office.

While they waited for Stephen Elson's attorney to arrive, Reid walked Deputy Mitchell through the basic questions he wanted covered during the first part of the interview. He asked Bridges to be the guard in the interrogation room. Most of all Reid stressed that he wanted the parents out of the room as soon as possible. "Teenagers don't act the same way in front of their parents as they do alone or with each other. The attorney can and should stay. I don't think we can get a conviction otherwise."

Hotch and Reid monitored Mitchell's interrogation of Elson. After twenty minutes, it became clear to Hotch that Reid was right. Even when the attorney was trying to bargain with Mitchell for reduced charges, the father was forbidding his son to speak. Neither parent looked like they could stand being in the room with Mitchell and their body language clearly distanced themselves from their son as well.

It came as no surprise to Hotch when Reid said he was going in to take over. What did surprise him was seeing Reid take off his tie and roll it in his pocket. Whatever had irritated his eyes the day before wasn't as bad because his contacts were in, too. He watched Reid think for a moment more, and undo another button on his shirt before giving Hotch a half shoulder shrug and entering the interrogation room.

Sheriff Williams stood beside Hotch and watched as Reid clapped Mitchell on the shoulder and smiled down at him. Mitchell left the room and Reid introduced himself as he took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves before sitting.

Hotch gave a snort, and turned to the Sheriff. "You know the old quote, 'Oh what a gift the giftie gie us…?"

"'To see ourselves as others see us?' Yes. I've heard it."

"I'm watching Reid go through my team's greatest hits. The walk into the room and shoulder clasp was pure David Rossi, and that gesture," he mimed rolling up his sleeves, "was one of mine. It's odd."

"Well, Stephen Elson is mesmerized. His parents don't seem happy."

Robert Elson tried to loom at Reid. Hotch saw him lean forward and look the man straight in the eye, a gesture straight out of Jason Gideon's playbook that set the man rocking back into his seat.

"How did he do that?"

Hotch answered, "Reid's learned from the best."

In the mirrors set up in the interview room, Hotch saw Reid give the suspect the kind of smile that Morgan used to melt hearts as he asked Stephen the next question.

As part of the more relaxed demeanor Reid had adopted, he'd left one hand stretched out on the table. In answering, Stephen Elson reached out and touched Reid's fingertips with his own. The boy blushed, but Reid didn't pull back or flinch in any way. Hotch noticed a shy smile pass between Reid and the boy.

Apparently, so did Elson's father. He leapt out of his chair and slapped Reid who managed to move out of his way without, Hotch noted, moving his hand away from Stephen's.

Deputy Bridges had Robert Elson flat on the table and cuffed very quickly.

Reid turned to Mrs. Elson and said, "Ma'am, you are welcome to stay or view the interview from behind the glass, but your husband is being removed for assaulting a Federal agent."

She rose and followed her husband out of the room. "No son of ours is a pervert," she sniffed before departing.

Reid looked directly at the boy. "I'm sorry about that Stephen. Now, as I was trying to tell your attorney, we already have Johnny Snow. Giving me the names of the other three members of your group will help you at your trial. Moreover, I will recommend both that you be tried as a juvenile and counseling as part of your sentence in my notes to the prosecutor's office."

Within fifteen minutes, Reid had the names, which person was responsible for which day of the week -- confirming the profile -- and where they met after school hours.

He rejoined Hotch and the Sheriff in the observation area. The first words out of his mouth were, "Put him on suicide watch."

Sheriff Williams asked, "Why?"

"Because at some point he's going to realize that I played on his attraction to make him betray his friends." He glanced at Hotch who nodded in confirmation. Reid continued, "Also, make certain that all of these boys are held apart from each other. No contact, especially with Stephen Elson."

"Afraid they'll hurt him?"

"Afraid they'll kill him." Reid stated.

***

Everything got very busy, very quickly. The final three boys were picked up before school let out. The principal had called their parents to let them know, and Sheriff Williams had called both the public defenders' office and the prosecutor.

Charles Bruce, Tuesday, was an easy nut to crack. Sheriff Williams covered virtually everything in her interview. Reid went in for five minutes to review the facts, but, in conjunction with the prosecutors, it was decided to offer him trial as a juvenile too.

Deputy Sergeant Kolinsky played dumb very well in his interview with Johnny Snow. Snow was uncooperative, belligerent even, but Kolinsky continued to ask his plodding questions and occasionally got answers. Finally, the second or third time Snow yelled, "I have an IQ of 154." Reid took over the interview.

He'd taken his contacts back out and put on his glasses.

Watching the interview, Hotch realized, whatever Morgan might think, Reid had never been arrogant about his intellect with his colleagues. From the moment he walked into the interview room, he wore his intelligence like armor and left Snow in the dust.

It took less than five minutes before the kid realized he wasn't the smartest person in the room. By the time Reid finished taking his statement, Snow was more subdued and practically begging Reid for guidance.

Reid ignored him as he left the interrogation room. His first words to Hotch were, "I was definitely wrong. He's not the leader. He wants to be -- and he has no impulse control about violence -- but he's trying to impress."

"That was my take on your interview, too. Do you still want the deputy to start with Butler, he's our Friday one."

"No. The one thing I got from Snow is how good a chemist Billy Butler is. That's one of my specialties. I'd like you in the room, if that's all right."

"Sure. Beside you at the table or acting as your muscle behind him?" Hotch was pleased to see Reid give him a smile at the sally.

"Neither his nor Stone's parents showed up. Stone's got a public defender, but Butler's have paid for a first class defense attorney." Reid was thinking aloud. "Beside me at the table. I'll mention your legal credentials, so we have a mirror image. Him with his attorney, me with mine."

"I'll make certain Williams has someone from the prosecutor's office behind the glass as well as the cameras running. Grab a snack. There's half a turkey sandwich in the refrigerator that I couldn't finish. If you want it, take it."

Reid just nodded and headed toward the break room.  
***  
They delayed the interview for a few more minutes while Reid set Garcia up with a live feed of the interrogation and parameters for searches that might help them find the last bomb. Reid was playing his hunch that it had already been planted.

Garcia had Sheriff Williams on another line so that the bomb squad could be dispatched as quickly as possible.

Reid was Billy Butler's colleague. He pulled out abstruse facts about the chemical compositions of the bombs and fires, noting in several places where Butler had improved on a common internet-available recipe. He asked questions about the temperatures attained in the three fires, and Butler, basking in Reid's acknowledgement, answered them despite the advice from his attorney.

The questioning was as slow and methodical as any dangerous chemistry experiment. By expressing admiration for Butler's abilities, Reid began to get answers to questions he hadn't yet asked. There were hints as to where the final bomb was, confirming Reid's suspicion that it was already in place; though, Hotch noted, Reid was very careful to act as if he hadn't previously made that deduction.

Every once in awhile, Hotch would mimic a defense attorney and suggest Reid refrain from a line of questions or admonish him about giving too much away. Even when Butler seemed to notice his own lawyer's "what the hell" expression, he responded to Reid's disregard for his "attorney" by disregarding the advice of his own.

Hotch could read the notes Reid was making. The University of Oregon campus had been eliminated because the prevailing wind direction was better elsewhere. Butler had let slip through Reid's unobtrusive cross questioning that the building was residential and had an elevator.

Little details became more important. The timer was chemical, but there was also a pressure mechanism so moving the bomb wouldn't be possible.

Slowly, the pieces came together. There was a tap on the one way glass, and Reid said, "We've been here for a long time, Billy. I'm going to ask Deputy Bridges to take you downstairs for a bathroom break and then you and your attorney can confer in here for a little while. Someone will bring a snack. Would you care for coffee or tea?"

Both men answered "coffee" as Hotch and Reid left the room.

Garcia was waiting on the line. "Your tech goddess has come up with three and only three rooftop locations that match the information from your interview. I'm sending them to Hotch's phone in order of likelihood."

Reid replied. "What tributes do goddesses accept?"

"Bring me frappucinos for a week, my genius." She hung up.

"You got off light." Hotch said.

"Yeah. Sheriff, give me ten minutes to type up my notes, and I can send them along with the bomb squad. Do they have hazmat gear?"

"I'm sure they do."

"Then make sure they approach his device with it on. I don't think it's likely to explode like the others, unless they misjudge the pressure plate. It sounds like his chemical timer will give us a slow release of something. My first guess is chlorine gas because it's relatively simple, but it could be something of his own design. It could be as benign as last week's turmeric."

"After that interview, would you bet on it?" Hotch asked.

"No."

Sheriff Williams nodded at them. "Go get your notes together. I'll have them leave in twenty minutes."

When they rejoined Butler and his lawyer, the young man was more reticent. Both BAU agents were wearing earpieces so Williams could keep them updated on the bomb squad progress.

Garcia was right about which building had the device; it was affixed to the elevator mechanism on the roof of her first choice. According to the bomb squad, it would be difficult to disarm. Worse, the timer, which was probably not highly accurate, was set for immediately after midnight.

Reid and Hotch re-entered the interview room, and Reid began the arduous process of teasing out the disarmament information.

It took over an hour. Hotch recognized a pattern of repetition in Reid's questioning similar to that used on a polygraph to confirm information. Even with the technical details, they were both aware of the classic bomber's profile. The chances were good he could lie convincingly to ensure his master work became famous.

One thing was truly confirmed, there were no electronics, no wires. It wouldn't be as simple as "cut the blue one."

Butler's attorney finally convinced them to stop the interview. Hotch tried to make one last plea based on sentencing recommendations, but Butler was determined not to answer any more questions and his attorney insistent.

As soon as they left the room, Reid walked over to his computer and logged in to a website for academics. It took time, but finally, nearly four hours after the Butler interview started, there was a consensus on how to prevent the device from doing too much damage.

Sheriff Williams had the bomb squad on speaker phone in her office and listened with Hotch as Reid walked the squad through the steps that he and his fellow chemists had decided would be best. The only thing Hotch really got from the conversation was quick drying cement was part of the solution. They'd worry about how to analyze the thing later.

For the second time in as many days, Hotch heard Reid sigh in relief. The device had been successfully contained.

***  
When it was over, Reid went straight for the coffee. They still needed to interview the final bomber, Clark Stone, and Hotch was interested in what the strategy would be.

"Butler's not our leader. He's using the circumstances, the competition, of the gang for his own purposes, but he's not the leader. Either we -- I -- was wrong about Charles Bruce, or it's Stone." Reid spoke quickly, like the sugar and caffeine had already hit him.

"I think we can safely assume it's Stone. How do we handle him? Is he a bomber or a serial killer who hasn't killed anyone yet?"

"Either way, I think you should do the interview. I'll start it, let him get upset that you've sent in the junior member of the team and then you dismiss me and take over."

"We could do it the other way. This is your case. You have the authority." Hotch wanted to understand the reasoning.

Reid gave a tired smile. "If it weren't already after seven o'clock, I'd start with one of the deputies and come in as the FBI agent in charge. But it's late. I don't think we have to worry about a bomb in place, but if he's our leader I can't be certain. Otherwise, we could let him spend the night in jail and start fresh in the morning. The fact is, age, bearing, and a habit of being in charge makes you more convincing. I've played the flustered geek for unsubs before to gauge reactions. We'll move faster if we go with our normal roles."

Hotch nodded. Reid's logic was sound. It _was_ late and waiting until morning for the interview could have unintended consequences. "All right. Any particular order you want to take the standard series of questions?"

Reid took a long swallow of his coffee. "I want to try a blitz attack while I'm in there. I'll make it sound like the bedwetting is a given and follow-up with questions about the arsons and bullying incidents his guidance counselor included with his file. That should frustrate him enough to yell for someone in charge. His bombing style indicates he loves attention. Plus, we should be able to tell from his reaction to the question whether or not he has the bedwetting problem."

"And since we already know about the fires, I can come right in with harming animals for our homicidal triad."

"We could be wrong. Maybe he just really likes loud explosions." There was nearly a smile as he said it.

"Reid, I saw those sightlines, too. It's not likely. You're right. We can probably get our triad nailed down quickly."

"And get him tried as an adult?"

Hotch looked thoughtful. "We need to be certain he's the leader. Butler I think we have a shot at just because his bombs were so sophisticated."

Reid drained his mug. "Let's do it."

***  
Reid was in and out of his part of the interview in under fifteen minutes. Bedwetting was confirmed and so was a certain viciousness.

Hotch went in and began his part of the interview. It quickly became clear that Clark Stone hadn't just tried killing animals, he reveled in it. He even offered them an address where they could see his experiments.

His public defender kept trying to silence him, but Stone answered the questions Hotch asked with a cocky grin. Finally, the public defender turned to Hotch directly and asked for time to confer with his client.

Hotch went to the observation area to find Reid asking Sheriff Williams to call in animal control and have the bomb squad report back.

"Why? They've been through enough today." Sheriff Williams was looking nearly as spent as Hotch felt.

Hotch answered. "Because he gave that address up too easily. He wants the notoriety and killing police with booby traps would be a good way to do it."

"His bombs weren't sophisticated. I think he's likely to have set up trip wires and pressure plates to homemade dynamite or ordnance he's been able to buy online or that he got by other means." Reid was backing his theory.

"So, you don't think it can wait 'til morning? I'd much rather it was light."

Hotch looked to Reid for the answer to Williams' question.

"It's your call Sheriff. I think we've found everything with a timer. Stone's had his one phone call, so I don't think a remote detonation by cell phone is likely. And you're right about everyone's fatigue level."

Williams looked to Hotch and then turned her attention back to Reid. She stared at him long and hard. Finally she said, "You had a hunch that Butler had already planted tomorrow's bomb. Do you have a hunch about this?"

Reid began, "I don't think playing a hunch is sufficient in this …" He noted the looks he was getting from Hotch and Williams. "Yes, ma'am. Something feels wrong to me about this. I think if we wait until tomorrow, we might regret it, but I don't have anything precise to back it up."

"Then give me a minute to make those phone calls." She went to her office.

Reid looked deflated when he turned to Hotch. "I don't have data on this."

Hotch put a hand on his shoulder. "Reid, you may not like it, but you work as much on instinct as intellect from what I've seen. It's probably just your ability to assimilate information quickly. Your hunches are information you've already taken in, but haven't categorized yet."

"I'm going with them." Reid said.

"If it turns out to be nothing, you'll get a lot worse than Morgan's teasing."

"I know."

"But if you turn out to be right, they might think you're some kind of genius."

Reid chuckled and went to get his Kevlar vest.

***  
Hotch continued the interview and Williams watched so she could pass relevant information on to Reid if they got any.

Stone claimed to have left ten traps. Hotch had a report on the situation from the Sheriff. The first one the bomb squad found was a World War II era claymore mine with a trip wire. After that, everyone was willing to move as slowly as necessary. There were two more before they got to the door, and the door was wired. The bomb squad made short work of the simple device.

When Hotch's phone rang, he wasn't surprised to see it was from Reid. He left the interview to take it.

"Hotch. We're in. We're moving slowly because we don't know what other surprises he might have left, but …" Reid's voice trailed off and then Hotch heard him say at a distance, "Jameson, out. You don't get to throw up on my crime scene." There was a minute and then Reid's voice was clear again. "Sorry about that. No one was prepared for this. About half the animals are alive. His trophies are a row of skulls ranging in size from mouse to dog. Some of the live animals are wild, but some are obviously house pets that he's stolen."

Hotch closed his eyes as he listened to the litany. "What does animal control say?"

"A few of the live ones may be able to be rescued, but the majority will have to be put down here. The kid's a sadist. I'm actually calling for advice."

"Sure, whatever I can give." Hotch was surprised.

"Last time I talked to Garcia, Kevin left the room. I told her that I need her to take the live forensic feed and save it for evidence, plus clean it up enough that it can be sent to my computer at the station."

"Right. What's the problem?"

"Can you give her permission to let Kevin stay while this is coming in? She takes animals so personally."

"Of course. I'll call her right now and tell her to start on the feed as soon as she can. Do you think showing the footage to Stone's attorney might help?"

"I assume you'll include the prosecutor's office. Make sure they have strong stomachs. You might want to have trash cans handy." Reid's voice was tight.

"Take care of the crime scene. I'll see you back here." Hotch hung up.

He made the call Reid had requested and then set up an area around Reid's computer.

Hotch found both the prosecutor and Stone's public defender. Garcia looked solemn when she appeared on the screen and walked him through what was being sent. Kevin was sitting quietly behind her looking grim.

The images were appalling. Vivisection -- the word exploded in his mind. The worst was a terrier, obviously someone's pet from the collar, which had had its hindquarters flayed so all the muscles showed raw. Hotch had assumed the dog was dead, and then he saw him blink.

The public defender made it to the men's room. The district attorney barely grabbed the trash can by his chair in time.

One of the animal control people was in the frame, obviously preparing a hypodermic. He saw Reid's hand come forward and pat the dog's head, careful only to touch the areas that still had skin. The terrier licked his hand quietly as the woman in the background found the vein and eased him out of life.

Garcia came back on. "There's more, sir, but I don't think we need to see it all tonight."

"No. No, we don't. Thank you, Penelope. I know this is very hard for you."

"It's my job. Hotch." She gave a half smile which didn't reach her eyes when she used his nickname.

"And you do it very well. Go home and, again, thank you." He saw her nod as she cut the link.

His phone rang. "Hotchner."

Reid said, "I'm leaving the locals to finish processing the scene. Did Garcia get you the footage?"

"She did. Kevin was with her."

"Good."

"I've sent her home."

"I'm glad." Reid's voice sounded weary.

"I'll see you when you get back here. And Reid?"

"Yes?"

"You've done a good job."

"Thanks, Hotch."

***  
Reid found Hotch in Sheriff Williams' office surrounded by paperwork and Chinese take-out boxes.

Hotch pushed a paper plate toward him. "I waited for you."

Reid shook his head. "I couldn't."

"It's been eight hours since I last saw you eat anything." He opened the boxes. "I got stir fried bean sprouts, watercress, and Buddha's Delight. There's brown rice, too."

"Vegetarian. Thank you." Reid started to take small helpings.

"Well, after seeing that crime scene, Mu Shu Pork was out."

Reid looked like he couldn't decide whether to laugh or throw up. "I finally meet a dog that likes me, and all I can do is soothe him while he's put down."

"I'm sorry. It's no real comfort, but after losing their lunches while seeing the pictures you sent, the public defender and the prosecutor have agreed Stone gets tried as an adult."

"Is there any soy sauce?" Reid shoved a forkful of food into his mouth. Hotch had been right, he needed to eat. "Were you able to come to agreements on Butler and Snow?"

Hotch shook his head. "Snow's attorney is still trying to dicker down because Snow aided the investigation."

"Any way I can help disabuse them of that notion?"

"Probably not. Butler will be tried as an adult. I pointed out the types of bombs and wind experiments he was doing could get him federal time if we chose to pursue him as a terrorist."

Reid smiled at that. "Two as juveniles, two as adults, and one undecided. Not too bad for three days' work."

Hotch smiled back. "And no deaths or major injuries." He saw Reid's face fall a little. "Except for those animals."

"Yeah."

Sheriff Williams came in and took her purse out of a filing cabinet. "I've sent everybody, but the night shift home. I know I have no authority over the FBI, but you two have put in a full day. Get out of here. The paperwork will still be around tomorrow."

Hotch nodded. "That it will. Reid?"

"Just let me finish this. I was hungrier than I thought."

The sheriff grinned. "If I see you gentlemen here before nine, I'll complain to your supervisor."

"Yes, ma'am." Hotch started closing the containers and packing up while Reid finished eating.

***

Half an hour later, they were back in their hotel room.

Reid put the lock on and turned to Hotch. "Is the case over? I mean, there's paperwork and testimony, but is it over?"

"Yes. We've caught the bad guys. Now we're just waiting to ride off into the sunset."

Reid's hands were on his shoulders, and he leaned very slowly toward Hotch. It was a good kiss, exploratory and gentle.

Hotch heard a moan and realized it was his as he slid a hand into Reid's hair and pulled him closer. When it broke, he felt Reid's lips running down his throat. He touched Reid's shoulder and immediately Reid took two steps back.

"We said we'd talk." Hotch's voice was soft. He looked at Reid's kiss swollen lips and leaned back against the wall to keep himself from going to him.

"I'm sorry, I just … " Reid bit his lower lip.

Hotch watched him struggle for words. "There's nothing to be sorry for, Spencer."

Reid straightened. "It's late." He started toward the bathroom door.

As he passed, Hotch took his arm. He looked deeply at Reid and saw pain and too many emotions. He made a decision. "Maybe talking's overrated."

There was a heartbeat where Hotch wasn't sure what would happen, then Reid slipped an arm around his waist and pulled him closer. "Are you sure?"

"Very."

Hotch put his hands on Reid's jaw and started the kiss. He felt himself walked backward toward the bed. His jacket was peeled from his shoulders, and Reid's hands were loosening both their ties. He couldn't remember the last time someone was urgent with desire for him the way Reid was.

He felt his knees hit the back of the bed and sat down before he fell down. Reid knelt in front of him wide eyed and traced a pattern down his throat. When his fingertips hit the button on Hotch's shirt, Hotch grinned and started to undo it himself. "I don't need to be seduced."

Reid blushed a little and began to take off his own shirt. "I didn't know how much experience you might have. Men."

Hotch nodded and gasped a little when he felt Reid's bare skin against his own. "I take it you have some?"

"You have access to my polygraphs. I've admitted being bisexual from the beginning."

"I never read the raw polygraphs -- just the assessments. The questions seem too personal." Hotch found himself pressed back against the bed, Reid's lips on his, Reid's hands running over his chest. "I like your hands."

Reid pulled back and said, "That's one constant."

"I take it I'm not the first to say that." Hotch gasped at the sensation of fingertips grazing his nipples.

Reid just smiled and shook his head. He leaned in and began licking and sucking at Hotch's throat eliciting another moan.

"Is it all right if I … explore you?" Reid's voice was a little hesitant, but his hands were not.

"Anything you want. This feels great." Hotch hoped his voice didn't betray his nervousness.

Reid stopped and said, "I'll be right back." He headed for the bathroom.

When he came back, he quickly put something small at the foot of the bed. He pulled back the covers and then leaned over Hotch dipping first for a quick kiss before running his cheek over the hair on Hotch's chest.

"I like this," Reid said. "You'll tell me if I make you uncomfortable or you don't like something, won't you?"

Hotch reached up to bring him closer. After a long slow kiss, he mouthed his way to Reid's ear. "Of course."

He felt the tension ease from Reid's frame and relaxed back himself as gentle hands and skilled lips began exploring his bare skin. It was nice to feel cherished. Hotch wondered where that word had come from.

Spencer came back up his body, mapping his reactions. He stopped when their faces were close and stroked Aaron's forehead, just staring into his eyes with a smile.

Aaron arched up against him, demanding more contact, and Spencer took his left hand. He teased the palm with his teeth and then licked up each finger, finally sucking lightly at the callous where his pen rested. Aaron gasped at the sensations which made Spencer pull back.

After planting one last kiss dead center on his palm, Spencer wrapped Aaron's hand around a bed post and mouthed his way down Aaron's arm. He couldn't believe he was moaning from having his elbow sucked.

Spencer did the same with Aaron's right arm, wrapping his hand around another slat in the headboard, before resting his ear to listen to the thud of Aaron's heart. His tongue traced the angry, healed scars in Aaron's shoulder, souvenirs of Foyet. His hands roamed all over Aaron, learning how not to tickle, but arouse.

When he finally got to Aaron's waistband, there was no teasing. He opened the fly and pulled pants and underwear off together. He held Aaron's eyes as he undressed himself and then Spencer began just as thorough an exploration of Aaron's legs.

Aaron could feel his cock dripping onto his belly and the sensations were tied to Spencer's warm breath on his thighs, or a wet tongue pressing just so against his ankle. Feeling a stream of cool air tease the fuzz on his balls made Aaron's cock twitch with anticipation.

There was a click and then Spencer licked a little at the pool of precome forming on his abdomen. He felt a slick finger sliding between his cheeks as Spencer took the head of his cock into his mouth.

The noises Spencer made sounded so satisfied, like this was a perfect moment. The slick finger circled delicately and breached him.

Spencer pulled back and adjusted himself against the bed. He smiled at Aaron, and asked, "Is this all right?"

"Yes. I've never … I'll tell you if I'm uncomfortable." He hoped his voice reassured Spencer.

Suddenly, he felt a long stripe licked up the long vein of his cock. The slim finger inside him, moved deeper, and a spark of sensation lit up. After that, everything seemed to happen at once.

Spencer withdrew his finger, but then two slick fingers slid into him and a warm mouth engulfed his ball sac. He writhed against the invading fingers and cried out when they hit that spot again.

The fingers left him empty for a moment, but then Spencer dropped random kisses up his length, mouthing along the vein, and more cool wetness slipped inside him, filling him. The sensations mounted as Spencer touched his prostate and kept the rhythm going in time with his mouth.

Finally, Aaron found his voice and said, "More. Please. I need more."

Spencer stopped. "More?" He clambered up the bed and kissed Aaron who tasted himself against those lips. He felt Spencer's erection press against his thigh and heard him whisper, "This is more."

"God. Yes. Please." He couldn't believe he was begging, but everything had felt so overwhelmingly hot.

"It would be easier on your hands and knees." For the first time, Spencer sounded hesitant.

"I want to see you. Physically, maybe it would be easier, but psychologically? I need to know that it's _you_."

A passionate kiss was pressed to his mouth. Spencer nipped lightly at his collar bone and then knelt between his legs, rolling on a condom.

"You'll let me know if I need to stop or if I need to withdraw."

"Yes, Spencer."

"I love your voice." He said it as he pushed one of Aaron's knees back.

Aaron felt more lube applied to his hole. Then Spencer pressed into him, lodging the head of his cock just inside. His hands tightened around the slats and he tried to will himself to relax.

Spencer leaned forward, but didn't push any deeper. He said, "Breathe with me, Aaron."

He felt Spencer's ribs expand against his own, and on the second breath, expanded to meet them. He felt Spencer move a little deeper inside him, still without thrusting, as he relaxed.

Two more breaths and, suddenly, it was easy to accept. Aaron smiled up at his lover and said, "You can move now. It feels better."

The words got him a gentle kiss and he felt Spencer rock his hips slowly, filling him.

When he could feel Spencer's pubic hair against his butt, Aaron let out a long sigh. "Move. Please."

Spencer pressed up on his hands and began a steady rhythm, changing angles until he hit Aaron's prostate. Once he was sure he could hit it every time, he smiled at Aaron and began a sure stroke.

Aaron wrapped his legs around Spencer's hips and began to push up wanting friction against his cock. The sweat of effort lubricated him nicely, and the sensation of Spencer's treasure trail rasping against him was making him frantic with need. He writhed and nipped at Spencer's collarbone.

Finally, Spencer stretched up and released one hand from the slats. He placed it on his own shoulder and then kissed Aaron's other hand.

He dug his fingernails into Spencer's back as he felt one of Spencer's hands snake between them. Two strokes of his cock and he went rigid with the first pulse of orgasm.

Spencer's rhythm broke and he arched hard just as Aaron's cock spurted a second time, hitting himself on the chin.

He felt Spencer's cock twitch inside him as his body went rigid. He was covered with sweat and come; he knew he'd raked Spencer's back.

All he could think was, "Yes."

***  
Reid was watching him as he came down from his orgasm. He reached up and stroked the back of his hand against Spencer's cheek and was rewarded with a soft kiss to his wrist.

"We should take a shower." Reid said.

"I don't want to move. Can't you just bring me a towel?"

Hotch felt the hesitation. "What is it?"

"I want to make sure I didn't hurt you."

He thought about the momentary pain and how long it took him to relax and whispered, "Good idea."

As they stood under the running water together, Spencer knelt quickly and made sure he was all right. He felt a quick kiss to one cheek before Reid stood behind him and began to wash his hair.

Hotch relaxed into the feeling of skilled fingers on his scalp. "This feels good. All of it felt good. I'm sure you're not surprised that this was my first time."

He felt a kiss to his shoulder as Reid said, "Mine, too."

He turned in Reid's arms. "First time?"

Reid asked, "For that. Did I … "

Hotch stopped his mouth with a kiss. "Yes. I wanted you very much, and I certainly enjoyed it."

He felt the tension ease out of Reid's body. "Bisexual?"

Reid gave him a shy smile. "Blowjobs in college."

When Hotch looked a little shocked, he elaborated. "Grad school." The look didn't go away so he finally said, "I was over the age of consent."

"May I ask when you lost your virginity?"

"With men or women? I assume you're including oral sex?"

Hotch thought for a moment. "Both men and women and, yes, oral sex counts."

Reid said, "Seventeen for oral sex with both sexes. Girls first, but only by a month or so. Lila was my first for, for penetration with women."

"Really?"

"I like sex, but I didn't want to risk pregnancy. Everybody was satisfied." Reid gave a half-shrug.

Hotch remembered the sensations from Reid's mouth and tongue on his cock. "I don't doubt that."

"What about you?"

"Haley. You."

Hotch saw Reid's shock and said, "I don't take relationships lightly."

"Neither do I. But I've only had two, before tonight, that I'd call relationships."

"Lila and Austin?"

"Austin and a guy I was involved with for a couple of months at Cal Tech. Lila and I are friends. When neither of us is in a serious relationship, there are, occasionally -- when we manage to be on the same coast -- benefits."

"I'm surprised. You always seemed so nervous around girls -- even her." He turned off the water and got out of the shower.

"I'm comfortable with other geeks. It just took me a little time to realize Lila is much more an arts geek than she is a TV star." He gave a wry smile. "You should have seen the one time Morgan and I did a recruiting spiel at MIT. He was completely lost. The primary geek mating ritual consists of fighting passionately over physics or pop culture or art or politics until the passion for the subject becomes passion for the person you're arguing with. I think he ended up calling the woman he'd met at Harvard the day before. Walking into a place with loud music and a bunch of strangers and being able to charm someone like Morgan can, it's not part of my experience."

Hotch smiled. "I can do it, a bit. I recognize the social cues in a way that you don't, I guess. Reid, you don't think I'm going to let you sleep on the floor tonight?"

Reid looked up from where he'd been putting the bedding down from the rollaway. "I didn't want to presume."

"I'm pretty sure you called us a relationship just a few minutes ago."

"I realized that I might have been assuming too … "

Hotch stopped his mouth with a kiss. "I'm pretty sure _I_ called us a relationship a few minutes ago. Come to bed. Will the desk light be enough?"

Reid held Hotch close for a moment before walking toward the bed. "Yes."

***

Hotch woke about thirty minutes before the alarm was due to go off. He'd forgotten how good it felt to sleep close to someone all night, but he'd also forgotten what it was like to wake up with a dead arm. He eased his out from under Reid and found a comfortable position.

Reid snuggled in closer and he couldn't resist brushing a kiss across his lips. Even in his sleep Reid responded and Hotch risked waking him by kissing him again.

Reid's body arched against his and when their erections brushed against each other, Hotch found dark hazel eyes staring into his own.

"Good morning," Reid said.

"I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's a lot easier to wake up like this than with an alarm clock." Reid nibbled down his throat, but Hotch pulled him back up and pressed their bodies closer. Reid hooked his leg over Hotch's hip, sliding their cocks together again.

Hotch moaned and reached between them.

Reid licked his ear and reached over his head. He squirted some lube into his hand and then grabbed Hotch's to share it. He wrapped his hand around Hotch's erection.

Hotch got the idea and did the same with Reid's. Reid captured his mouth and interlaced their fingers so their cocks slid against each other even as their hands stroked together.

They didn't last long, tonguing and kissing and stroking each other to a messy, warm climax. They were sweat-slick and panting against each other's necks when the alarm sounded.

Hotch began to giggle, and Reid laughed with him. Then they started their morning routines.

***  
Coming back from the fitness room, Hotch let his eyes linger on Reid's impossibly long legs braced against the wall. He waited until Reid came down from his handstand and asked, "Did you say something back at Quantico about wanting to see your mother if we finished before the weekend?"

"Yes. And two nights ago you said something about taking some time off together. Want to come to Vegas?"

Hotch nodded. "It would just be for the weekend though. I logged in and checked everyone's comp time. Garcia's saving hers for the Italy trip in November, and Rossi will be in New York most of next week, but the rest of us are at 'use it or lose it.' Even Morgan's using up comp time before taking sick leave for his recovery."

"Garcia wouldn't mind having some time at the office without us there," Reid said. "She needs to run some clean up processes and operating system updates. Morgan said she was grumbling about not being able to keep us up to date a couple of weeks ago. And with Will testifying in New Orleans, I think JJ would jump at the chance either to be home with Henry or to take Henry and join him."

"That just leaves Emily. I'm going to make a few phone calls after my shower, but I should be able to get us all the next week off. I'll let Rossi take his when he's off the Organized Crimes case. As long as Morgan is out, we're going to be doing smaller consults."

"Sounds good. Why are you looking pensive?"

Hotch took a breath. "Haley's managed to schedule -- wait that's not fair. I missed a weekend with Jack three weeks ago. She'd already warned me about next weekend, and there were two other things that came up last weekend and this weekend. Last weekend's was a school thing so I didn't mind, other than not getting to see Jack, but … It's complicated."

"It's your son."

Hotch smiled at him. "I'm going to see if I can have him this coming week. It will let her go up and help her sister out, and then I can hand Jack over to her for the wedding. That would mean I could only do the weekend in Vegas. Although, I'd be free again by five next Friday."

"I can be back in DC by then. Hotch, Jack comes first. If you can arrange to have a week with your son, do it. If Strauss only lets one person have time off and Haley says you can have Jack, take it. I'll visit with my mother and be in on Monday. Maybe each of us can take a week while Morgan's out if all of us taking next week won't work for Strauss."

"Thank you. And if Haley won't let me have Jack, a whole world of possibilities could open up."

Reid smiled. "Go take your shower. I think you should be dressed before you talk to Strauss."

Hotch laughed and headed for the bathroom.

***  
When Reid came out fully dressed a little later, Hotch's packed bag was next to his own.

"Strauss said 'yes.' Haley said 'yes.' Emily said 'hell, yes' and is leaving for Dulles," Hotch checked his watch, "about now. Garcia's taking the rest of the day off before starting on her upgrades on Monday, and Dave said he was taking the slow road back to DC whenever this New York case is wrapped up." Hotch was grinning as he ticked the names off on his fingers.

"I'm sorry Morgan injured his knee, but it's nearly worth it to see you smile so much."

"I've booked a room at Caesar's Palace for tonight and tomorrow. I've got a five a.m. return flight on Monday. I asked Garcia to book us on the same flight to Vegas and she's waiting to hear from you about your return plans."

Reid went to his computer and opened a browser. It only took a few minutes before he said, "I've got a room near Mom through Wednesday which means you get to spend Sunday night with me, and I've rented a car. I'll call Garcia after breakfast." He closed down and packed up the laptop.

Hotch pulled him close for a long kiss. "Now, let's go finish the paperwork. Our flight's at two."

Reid picked up his bag and followed him out.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote the opening scene of this story well before MGG needed knee surgery and long before SM broke his leg.


End file.
